Ugly scenes in a food queue

Digest of stories from the Beds & Herts Saturday Telegraph: December 15th, 1917.

Ww1 food queue in Wellington Street, Luton

  • An orderly food queue in Wellington Street during WW1, but still with a police presence.

The queue trouble has become a real police matter, and, unless the Food Controller takes the situation in hand, it looks like developing into a very serious matter.

In certain streets the other evening the special constables on duty appeared to be in for a very lively time, for some of the disappointed women made ugly threats against a shop which had been one of the fairest and most prolific sources of butter and margarine.

Averaging four abreast, a queue of many hundreds stretched this morning from near the bottom of Wellington Street, round the corner into Peel Street and about three-quarters of the length of that thoroughfare. Comprised mostly of children, it formed a pathetic sight, for some of the tiny youngsters looked, after a wait of an hour of two, very cold and miserable, stamping feet and rubbing hands in vain endeavours to maintain warmth.

The police had plenty to do in keeping the line, but there was no disorder.

  • A case of exceptional interest to motorcar users and commercial travellers in particular was heard at the Luton Borough Police Court this morning. Joseph Dickinson, a photographic materials salesman, of Palmers Green, London, was summoned for a breach of the Motor Spirit Protection Order on November 30th. He was convicted and fined £5 after the bench decided the car journey he had made to Luton via St Albans and Harpenden, returning via Potters Bar, was one he could reasonably and conveniently have accomplished other means, such as trains. An Automobile Association solicitor, acting for Mr Dickinson, said his client had a licence from the Petrol Committee and normally carried up to 1½ cwt of samples. There would probably be an appeal.

  • A rough-looking, unkempt fellow names William Saunders, a labourer of no fixed abode, was sentenced at this morning's Luton Borough Court to six months hard labour for failing to report, as required by the Prevention of Crimes Act. The offence arose from another charge which had been preferred against him and withdrawn - that of breaking and entering the Sugar Loaf Hotel, King Street, with intent to commit a felony on December 7th.

  • Luton Chamber of Commerce, through its President (Mr F. W. Plummer), is supporting an appeal for £500,000 by Christmas made by the Y.M.C.A. The project was inaugurated last Friday evening with initial pledges of £550 from Luton firms and individuals to the appeal.

  • Farrier Sgt Thomas Wiseman, formerly of Cumberland Street, Luton, and brother of Mr Joseph Wiseman, of Hitchin Road, Luton, was killed in France on November 21st. The news was received by the deceased wife, now resident in Andover.

  • Yesterday week the death took place of Pte Henry Brooks (Royal Fusiliers), whose home address was at 75 Beech Road, Luton. He was wounded in France and was brought to a hospital in Manchester, where his wounds proved fatal. The body was conveyed to Luton and interred on Saturday in the General Cemetery, full military honours being accorded by a party of soldiers of the Royal Field Artillery.

  • There have been few years when Santa Claus has been so well blessed with cash as this year, so far as Luton is concerned, and what toys have been bought have been rather of the more expensive variety. We suppose that by now all the German-made goods have been cleared out and that British socks and stockings will be crammed with British goods.

  • The personnel of the teams on the Town Ground this afternoon was rather unusual. Mitchell was not at his customary post in the Town goal, guarding instead that of visitors Kent's Works. Capper gave the Town the lead within five minutes with a goal that according to some opinion was offside. Kent's equalised just before the interval, and with no further score in the second half the final result was 1-1.